Life or Death
by B. M. Gray
Summary: The final battle begins. Some saves Harry with a twist. Complete


_**Life or Death**_

_By_

_B. M. Gray_

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters who are recognized. These belong to Mrs. J. K. Rowling.

Author's Note: I am writing a story in what could be called an Alternate Universe as some of the characters are somewhat ooc. This is my first attempt at a slash fic. There are hints at issues I usually don't address. Items in **BOLDFACE TYPE** refer to someone/something that is in a place in spirit.

It was a solemn time at Grimmauld Place. The end of the War with Voldemort came to a head over the summer between Harry's 5th and 6th year. Voldemort had found Harry and had attacked. Harry was holding his own until he tripped over the body of his Cousin Dudley. Voldemort was just going in for the kill. He uttered the killing curse when Harry was knocked out of the way by someone in a Death Eater robe. The spell hit the two of them and rebounded upon it's caster. Voldemort became a pile of Ash in that instant and the other Death Eaters apperated out. When the Order got there, they found Lucius Malfoy standing over the unconscious bodies of his Son and Harry Potter. It came out that Severus was not the only spy that Albus had in the Death Eaters, and the two boys were brought to Grimmauld Place where Poppy Pomfrey was taking care of them.

Harry found himself in a very dark place. He got up and walked around. There didn't seem to be any walls or furniture. He'd just come to the opinion that he'd died and was waiting for judgment when a bright light appeared in the distance. When he got to the light, he found a red haired girl there. She looked to be about 20 and was the only person in the area.

"Who are you?" Harry asked. "What's going on?"

"I'm not surprised you don't remember me little brother." The girl said. "We used to talk all the time when you were younger. Then the Dursley's…" the girl spat like she had a bad taste in her mouth, "took your innocence and you couldn't see me."

"Why do you call me little brother?" Harry asked.

"Because," the girl said, "you were the only child of your mother and father. But," she continued, "You weren't the only child of your mother."

"You mean you had a different father?" Harry asked.

"Five Points to Gryffindor." The girl said. "My twin brother and I were born, but we didn't live through the year. I'm sorry what lengths my father had to go through to get through his grief. As for why you're here… you are at a cusp. You've got a choice. You can continue towards death, or you can choose to live."

"I've got a choice." Harry was disbelieving. "What have I got to live for?"

"We'll just have to explore that won't we little brother." She said. "Oh, my name is Angelica."

Draco woke up on a flat plane of light. He stood up and looked, but there was no one for as far as he could see. He picked a direction and began walking.

Suddenly there was a shadow in the distance. As it was the only landmark that there was to go by, Draco walked toward it. Standing in the shadow was a blond haired man. Draco had just gotten to the shadow when the man looked up and spoke.

"A bit of a sticky wicket you've gotten yourself into this time, little brother." The man said.

"Who are you, and what's going on here?" Draco asked.

"Actually," the man said, "I'll answer your second question first." Taking a deep breath the man sat in a chair that appeared on the plane. "Have a seat. This will take time."

Draco found himself sitting in a chair that just appeared behind his knees.

"This Plane you are on is sort of a waiting area. You were hit by the Killing Curse when you tried to save Harry, good try by the way. Right now, there is a battle going on that could either save both you and Harry, or it could be the end of both of you. Harry Potter is trying to die. If he dies, because of who the two of you are, you die."

"Let me get this straight." Draco said. "If Potter dies, I die? Who are you? Why is this?"

"Okay." The man said. "You are not Father's first child. I was born as a set of Twins to another mother just after father graduated from Hogwarts. In answer to your question, I am Devlin Malfoy. What's going on is a very long story…"

"How are they Poppy?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm surprised they are alive." Madame Pomfrey said. "They were hit by the Killing Curse. Harry's survived it before. I don't know what's going on Albus, but I would swear the two of them are fighting it, Draco a little better than Harry. I've contacted the brightest minds in the field of magical trauma and all of us are stumped. Logically they should be dead not in a coma."

"There's not much hope of them coming out of this?" The old man deflated a bit.

"That, I would say depends on them." Said the nurse.

"Let me take you on a journey." Angelica said, holding out her hand. "A journey through life that has been and a possibility of a future that could be yours for the asking."

Harry took her hand and the scenery changed. It took Harry a moment to place where they were at, then the door to the ramshackle shack on that stone outcropping was knocked to the floor and Hagrid entered the house.

"This is your first happy memory." Angelica said.

(the scene played through to it's conclusion of Dudley being given his pigs tail and Harry leaving with Hagrid)

"So you see little brother." Devlin said. "We're trying to give Harry a reason to live."

"So you mean that Father is descended from the Atlanteans as was Harry's mother?" Draco thought about that for a moment. "So we're soul mates?"

"It wouldn't be the first time." Devlin said. "Technically Angelica are as well, but of a different sort. We were Twin-born."

"That would explain what I've been feeling for the Golden-boy since we first met." Draco said. "Even before I knew what I was feeling. Is there any way for me to help?"

"Hagrid was your first friend." Angelica said. "I know you like him. Now on to another reason to live."

The scene changed again. This it time became the Hogwarts Express. An eleven year old Harry sitting on the train as a red-headed boy asked to share the compartment.

"The beginning of the infamous Gryffindor Trio," Angelica said as Hermione entered the scene. "These two are as close to you as siblings. Surely you don't want to leave them behind."

"In a way," Harry began, "they left me behind."

"Because they finally noticed that they loved each other?" Angelica asked. "You don't think they have room for each other and their adopted brother? I think we should show you something else."

The scene changed again. Harry recognized one of the rooms at Grimmauld place that had apparently been changed into a sick room. There were two beds, each with a privacy drape. Sitting around his bed were Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, and Molly Weasely.

"I don't know if you can hear us Harry." Hermione was saying. "You've done so much for Ron and I. Before I met you, I never had a brother or sister. It was a lonely existence. I wasn't in the situation you were in, and I tried to get you out of it as much as I could…"

"'Mione," Ron said, "Madam Pomfrey said to keep this positive. We need to support Harry as much as we can."

"Right," Hermione said. "Harry, after Hogwarts Ron and I were going to be married. I know that you need to be there. If you aren't, I'm calling it off."

Harry noted the look on her face and turned to Angelica. "She means it."

"So, are you going to fight this?" Angelica asked.

"I'm not sure I know how." Harry said.

"Let's just check on who is in the other bed." Angelica said.

The two of them appeared at the foot of the other bed. Harry saw it was a comatose Draco Malfoy.

"Is that who tried to save me?" Harry asked.

"Yes." Was all she said.

"But why?" Harry asked. "He's always hated me."

"Haven't you ever heard that there was a fine line between love and hate little brother?" Angelica said. "There are those that believe that it is the same emotion but from opposite ends. Besides, HATE, is a bit strong for what he feels."

Draco turned in his chair. There was a presence that he felt. He was sure that Harry was nearby and he said as much to Devlin.

"Yes." Devlin said. "Harry's just found out what condition that the two of you are in medically. He's evaluating his life to see if he wants to fight or not."

"Fight it Potter." Draco said sending as much energy through the thought as he could gather. "I'm not failing to save you. There's a lot that we need to talk about."

Harry was just turning around in the room to leave when all at once he heard Draco begin to mumble in his sleep. Going closer, he listened and heard:

"Fight it Potter. I'm not failing to save you. There's a lot that we need to talk about."

"Maybe a scene change" Angelica said.

"That was a good move little brother." Devlin said. "You see my twin is working on showing Harry what could happen. The future that is most likely to happen if the two of you survive. I wish that I could assist you into making a more positive effort, but for now we wait."

"Why are you helping us?" Draco asked.

"Because we can" Devlin said. "Normally this would be the job of your 'Spirit Guides' or your 'Guardian Angels' depending upon what your personal belief system is. Angelica and I have a large sense of family. Technically, we aren't spirit guides because we're Souls. Spirit Guides never were souls. They've always been spirits. If anyone can get Harry to fight, it will be Angelica."

Harry saw himself standing beside Ron looking through the window in a maternity ward. Curious, **Harry** walked over and looked through the window. Front and center of the window were two babies each with a dusting of bright red hair. They were a boy and a girl with the name "Weasely" on the front.

Ron looked up at Harry and said, "You know that you are the best friend that 'Mione and I ever had right? Harry, we've discussed this and want to name you the children's God father. I know you grew up without family. We wanted to give you one."

Angelica walked over to **Harry **"I think that before you completely make up your mind whether or not to fight for your life, we have just one more scene change."

**Harry** saw himself standing on the porch of a cabin looking over a field leading down to a lake. In the field was a large group of kids, and about every Weasely in the world. A 6 year old girl that **Harry** thought had to be one of the twins that belonged to Ron and Hermione bent down to a younger set of twins who looked to be about 4. The younger set of twins came running up to the Harry on the porch.

"Daddy! Daddy!" They said. "Sarah said that you'd come down to the lake with us to help us go fish."

Harry picked up the two children. "I guess we'd better not disappoint then, huh? We can surprise your Father with a Fish Dinner when he gets home from the Ministry."

Angelica spoke. "You see you have many things to live for." The scenery darkened until they were back on the black plain. "Or we could stay here and leave this future unfulfilled."

"I want to fight." Harry said.

"That's good." Angelica said. "Now I tell you of the Heritage that your mother never was able to tell you about."

The scene changed again to look like a Muggle AV class room. Harry found himself falling into a seat at the table while Angelica was standing at the projector screen with a pointer.

"What you were taught to believe was that your mother was a Muggleborn." Angelica said. "This was something that she herself told everyone because they were not to know. Even Albus Dumbledore wasn't privy to your family tree. Lily Evans' parents were Atlantean Squibs. Oh, by the way, petunia was adopted."

"You mean to tell me that the 'blood protections' were never effective to begin with!" Harry exploded.

"Ironic isn't it?" Angelica said. "On with the show… Your mother got her Hogwarts letter and was sorted into Slytherin."

"I was told she was a Ravenclaw." Harry said.

"Who's telling this story?" Angelica was perturbed.

"I'm sorry," Harry said contritely, "please continue."

"As she went through school, she had two good friends and a bunch of people who liked to harass them. Both of the friends you've met. One is Severus Snape, the other was my father. To prevent the explosion that is coming I think I'd rather show you."

The screen lit up. Lily Evans was walking with a group of people. Across the screen from the Entrance hall came a face that looked like Draco at 15. It had to be Lucius Malfoy. He walked up to Lily and kissed her.

"Okay." Harry said. "If Draco knew that, I can see why he'd be upset with me."

"He didn't until he met my Brother." Angelica said. "My brother and I were born just before Mom had to go back to school for 6th year. We died before she came back from what was believed to be what Muggles called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. What really happened was that Petunia…" Again she spat like she had a bad taste "smothered us with a pillow."

Shortly after that, Father became a Death Eater. Dumbledore figured him out and recruited him as a spy for the Order. Dad recruited Severus."

"That's why Lucius never went to jail." Harry said. "I take it that he married Narcissa Black shortly after graduation."

"It was an arranged marriage to get a Pureblooded heir." Angelica looked sad. "Grandfather, it seemed wouldn't countenance Father and Mother. He threatened to disown him. Lily moved on and eventually just after she graduated fell for and married one of the Marauders who tormented her for so long. It turns out that he was of Atlantean lineage as well."

"I saw in Professor Snape's pensieve what Dad was like." Harry said. "I hope Dad grew up. I really need to apologize to the professor for myself and for my dad."

"Now that you know your heritage, it is time." As Angelica spoke, the chair that Harry was sitting in turned into a stone bench. The AV room turned into a stone circle. Harry's clothing became a short Toga like Robe. She stood behind an Altar that had on it several candles in multiple colors; a dish of Salt; a silver Chalice with wine; a disk with a pentagram upon it a cauldron; a decanter of water; and an unlit incense burner. "It is time for your ceremony of dedication. This is a rite of passage amongst the Atlantean race."

Angelica became somewhat busy. She set candles at the four cardinal points of the compass. Then continuing around the circle marked on the rock going always clockwise she lit each candle calling upon the elemental guardians for their protection and wisdom.

She then returned to her altar with a lit wick that she placed into a brazier of charcoal. Setting the brazier by it's carrying chains she set it upon the pentacle disk. "Creature of fire" she said. "I call upon the Lord and Lady to sanctify you and our efforts this day." She carried the brazier by it's chains clockwise around the circle and invoked the spirit of Fire, element of Energy and asked it's protection and wisdom.

Waving her hand, Angelica put a piece of lit charcoal into the incense burner and placed the Burner with some incense on the block. She then set the incense burner on the pentacle and said, "Creature of Air, I call upon the Lord and Lady to sanctify you and our efforts this day." She then took the incense burner by it's chain and moving always clockwise invoked the Wisdom of the spirit of air and asked the protection of it's knowledge upon all to enter the circle. She completed her circle and set aside the incense.

She took up next the Cauldron and set it upon the pentacle. She poured into it the decanter filled with water. "Creature of Water," she said. "I call upon the Lord and Lady to sanctify you and our efforts this day." Taking up the cauldron, she walked clockwise around the circle and with a branch of what looked to be Sagebrush she sprinkled water all around. She invoked Elemental Water in all it's configurations. The element of Life we ask your protection and assistance in the lifetimes upcoming.

Next she took up the dish of salt and set it upon the pentacle. Creature of Earth," she said. "I call upon the Lord and Lady to sanctify you and our efforts this day." Taking the salt she threw a few grains in the cardinal directions. She invoked elemental Earth in all it's incarnations, the element that grounds all things. She asked for it's protection and that like the plants of the earth asked for it's ability to promote new growth.

Harry saw a flash of light. Suddenly he was dressed in an Egyptian kilt of Linen. Sitting beside him on the stone was Draco who was dressed in the same manner that he was and waiting at the Altar was a blonde haired man.

Angelica picked up the Chalice of wine. She set it upon the pentacle. "Creature of Spirit" she said. "I call upon the Lord and Lady to sanctify you and our efforts this day." Then she took the Chalice and turning to her Brother who stood at the northern boundary of the circle she gave him a sip. Walking to the cardinal points she took a sip at each one invoking the element of Spirit for it's protection and it's wisdom. Taking the remaining wine she set it down on the altar.

Devlin took a dagger from behind the altar and a sword from behind the altar. He hung the sword on his left side and the dagger on the right. He walked clockwise around the circle until he stood directly in front of them. Nicking a finger with the dagger he let the blood run down onto the circle. He said, "Blood of my Blood, I call you both into the circle. Enter in as boys. Leave the circle as a man of your Clan. He reached his hands out to each of the boys in turn and pulled them into the circle. Angelica led them around the circle until the faced each other from opposing ends of the Altar. Devlin sheathed the dagger and drew the sword. Holding the broadsword up in a salute he intoned "Lord and Lady, at your behest I invited the uninitiated into your temple. I now seal the door behind them. He took the sword and cut into the stone where the blood had broken the circle 3 times.

Madam Pomfrey had just cleared the sick room. Everyone was preparing for bed when they all heard the racket of moving furniture in the infirmary room.

Lucius Malfoy was the first to get to the door, followed closely by Madam Pomfrey. When he got to the door he stopped and blocked the door. "Get Dumbledore!" He ordered. "He's going to want to see this."

Looking past his body into the room, they saw the two boys floating in the middle of the room dressed in Egyptian kilts. As they watched, tattoos began appearing upon their arms. On Harry's Right arm there was the Tattoo of a Black Dragon and a Golden Eagle. On his right arm there was a Silver Dragon and a Merlin Hawk. Draco's arms began to tattoo. On his right arm were the Silver Dragon and the Merlin. On his right were the Black Dragon and the Eagle. Both boys' hair grew out until it was to the middle of their backs.

As Albus got to the room, the beds moved back under the boys. And the room returned to looking like an infirmary except the beds were beside each other.

"Well," Albus said. "That was interesting."

Everyone was startled when they heard Harry ask "What was interesting Headmaster?"

"Harry!" Hermione charged into the room. Everyone Hugged Harry and told him how glad they were that he was awake.

"What am I" came an amused voice from the other bed. "Chopped Liver?"

Lucius came to his son and told him that he was so proud.

Draco and Harry looked at each other. Then at one time they asked, "When were you going to tell us about Angelica and Devlin?"

There was a soft thump as Lucius Malfoy hit the floor.

The next day, over Madam Pomfrey's complaints that the boys needed more rest, everyone gathered in the living room. Dumbledore conjured chairs for everyone and the two young men told the story of what happened. Then they turned to Lucius.

"Angelica and Devlin told us to tell you that they send their love. They said that they didn't blame you and that the soul of the one who murdered them will be tortured for eternity."

"I'm so sorry Harry." Dumbledore looked his age for once. "I thought that your aunt was your blood aunt. If I'd have known, I would have found a way to keep you safe somewhere else."

"You mean like with Sirius?" Harry asked. "I found out that the only reason he went looking for Pettigrew was that Hagrid wouldn't give me to him. As my godfather, he should have been the one to raise me."

"Can you forgive an old man some admittedly large mistakes?" The professor asked.

"Forgive?" Harry asked. "Yes. Please don't expect me to forget them. Headmaster, I don't feel it would be safe for me to return to Hogwarts this year until all the TRUE Death Eaters are caught. There are going to be many of them who will hold a grudge."

"I have an answer for that." Lucius said. "I have a friend who is Headmistress at a school that only accepts students of Atlantean Ancestry. I believe you and Draco would do well going there to finish. Also, since you have come through your rite of Manhood you should come into your full inheritance. Did you know that your mother's family is noble?"

"Actually," Harry said. "I don't know a lot about my mother's side of the family."

"We'll have to fix that." Lucius said. "I'll make arrangements if you will trust me."

"I suppose my mother saw something in you." Harry said. "If she would trust you, I guess I will unless you give me a reason not to."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story. It is my first attempt at a story like this. I hope to hear many reviews. Please Check for the Sequel to this story. Atlantis.


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